Canada-based CK Nutraceuctials is collaborating with B2B ecommerce ingredient marketplace Infield Market to expand the footprint of its Deep Ocean Minerals ingredient in the US.

The partnership will bring the ingredient more visibility among US-based formulators to use the mineral in dietary supplements, functional beverages, and more.

Deep Ocean Minerals (or DOM) is a standardized natural mineral concentrate manufactured from geographically protected ocean water and harvested at 600 meters (1,960 feet) below sea level or lower. According to the company, extracting mineral from this depth means that the product is free of all contaminants or impurities.

Researchers have studied the potential nutritive value of minerals extracted from deep in the sea. One study published last year​​ in Frontiers in Physiology​ found that supplements containing over 70 minerals and trace elements derived from the deep ocean may improve blood flow and hemoglobin levels in the brain after exercise.

Michael Chernyak, president of CK Nutraceuticals, told us that the company has supported two published studies on humans, with a third recently completed in the UK and still pending publication.

On awareness of deep ocean minerals, Chernyak said that the market is still quite nascent, “as it’s a fairly new idea in North America.” ​

“We have several Canadian clients including a major player in the natural retail channel, and a small handful of U.S. brands featuring DOM in their formulations,”​ he added. “We are engaged in many development projects, some that will lead to commercialization in 2019. So, expect more DOM-based products in the coming months.”​

In addition to its partnership with a B2B marketplace like Infield Market, CK Nutraceuticals continues to pursue a direct sales approach, Chernyak said.

““When we became aware that CK Nutraceuticals was looking to expand its footprint in the U.S. market, I knew this was an opportunity not to be missed,” ​said Tim Intfen, co-founder and president of Infield Market.

“The CK Nutraceuticals offering represents an important new category emerging in a variety of health and wellness, food and beverage, nutraceutical and more specifically sports nutrition markets. They have had a number of major nutraceutical companies evaluate and review Deep Ocean Minerals in addition to some promising clinical studies related to athletic recovery. Consumer demand is ever evolving in our industry, and it has become essential for us to co-evolve. With categories like hydration and anti-aging as front-runners of both consumer demand and in our industry, we’re excited to make the Deep Ocean Minerals innovation available to a broader audience.”​